is your cooperative serving West Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee across more than 15,000 access lines.
The company is dedicated to using technology to keep
its members connected through local and long distance calling, high-speed Internet, digital television
and beyond.

t has certainly been a busy year for your
cooperative. As I step back to review
2012, I’m proud of the progress our
employees and contractors have made on our
many construction projects. I also appreciate the efforts of everyone who has worked
to improve the service we provide to you on
a daily basis. This has indeed been a year of
progress for WK&T and its members.
During this holiday season, as we take time
to focus more attention on family and friends,
I am reminded of the real power behind the
technology we provide. WK&T is ultimately
in the people business. Yes, we are a technology company, but the technology we bring to
your community enables real human connections.
For example, a few weeks ago I received
a message on Facebook from a high school
friend with whom I had not spoken in some
30 years. She wrote to tell me that, within
a period of five weeks, two of my parents’
friends from Iowa had passed away. When
I shared the sad news with my parents, I
realized they might never have learned about
the loss of their friends were it not for the
Internet.
Inside this issue you will read about a
mother who uses that same technology to stay
connected to her daughter across thousands of
miles. Alicia Tabers is certainly proud of her
daughter Sara Darnell for earning the opportunity to study a few months in Germany
— but that separation can still be difficult on
a parent. Thanks to the network WK&T is
building, this mother and daughter are sharing
stories and making memories in real time
through video chatting.
Also in this issue you will read about
WK&T’s commitment to broadcasting area
sporting events on our local channels 51
and 68, as well as on our sports website
www.wktsports.com. Many of our members

have expressed appreciation for this service
— not just because they enjoy watching a
good game, but because they also enjoy how
it brings the community together. By airing
these games, we are helping people celebrate
the accomplishments of their children and
their schools, while making it possible for
many relatives to watch their grandkids,
nieces and nephews play ball even when they
live miles apart.
Yes, I’m proud of the fact that we are
building a high-speed broadband network for
our members, one that will be faster and more
reliable than the networks found in many
larger cities. It excites me to think about the
doors this will open in our region for economic development, tourism, business growth
and education. But I’m just as excited about
the smaller things, the seemingly ordinary,
everyday human connections that will be
possible only because of the network we are
building.
I encourage you to spend some time this
holiday season putting our network to good
use. Call a friend or family member who lives
in another state. Better yet, video chat with
them. Watch our local kids play basketball, or
gather your family to enjoy a holiday classic
on TV. And don’t forget to share those family
photos online with the people you love. Let
us provide the technology — you put it to
work to connect with those most important to
you. Merry Christmas! 

Trevor Bonnstetter is
CEO of WK&T
Telecommunications
Cooperative

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

Progress
continues
on fiber
build
A warm, dry summer and fall
helped crews make significant
progress on WK&T’s fiber project.
As of the end of October, the contractors have placed 1,120 miles of
cable around our service area.
Contractors Jaden Murphy and Jerrod Hicks
Through the end of October,
install fiber in Lowes.
crews have installed all main lines
and drops in the Fancy Farm and
Farmington exchanges. Construction is finished in most of the Wingo, Cunningham and
Sedalia exchanges in Kentucky.
In Tennessee, all construction is complete in the Puryear, Yorkville, Trimble and
Mason-Hall exchanges. The Cottage Grove and Brazil exchanges should be complete in
the near future, and we expect to begin connecting subscribers in Tennessee very soon.
While the dry weather allowed crews to work without interruption, it also caused
the plowing to create more damage to lawns and rights-of-way than we would like. We
apologize for the disturbance and the contractors have been instructed to clean up areas
before they leave.
If you are not satisfied with the clean up, please call Engineering Associates at
270-753-9111. 

WK&T TV Channels
611 and 633
will be playing your favorite
Christmas tunes 24 hours a
day from now through Jan. 2.

Consider it our
Christmas gift to you!

P R O T E C T Y O U R T E L E C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S Y S T E M

Help protect your valuable telecommunications system.
Please “Look Up” before you shoot.
When you lift that gun, make sure utility lines are not in your line of sight.
You could interrupt service for dozens or even hundreds of your neighbors
while WK&T goes through the time-consuming and expensive process of
repairing its equipment.

November/December 2012 |

3

Connection | WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative

WK&T Sports adds
features and continues

Delivering the

Dunks
W

hen a local high school basketball player takes a
last-second shot, everyone in the gym is focused on
the ball and the hoop.
But for the last few years, when the player takes that shot,
chances are good there have been hundreds or thousands of
equally-focused fans in living rooms and restaurants around the
WK&T service area.
Through WK&T Sports, the cooperative will show about 30
games this basketball season. “In a basketball game, you have a
winner and a loser, but with broadcasting the games, everybody
wins,” says Michael Lee, video service project manager for
WK&T. “Broadcasting the games is a win for our players, for
our schools and for our members, especially those who are not
able to make it to the games.”
This year’s slate of games will air on Channels 51 and 68
as well as on www.wktsports.com. Matchups this year will
involve Graves County, Mayfield, Carlisle County, Marshall
County, Calloway County and more. “Every year, we’ve done
a substantial number of games more than the year before,” Lee
says. “Each summer we start looking at the schedules early to
find ways to deliver as many broadcasts to our members as is
possible.”

Helping fans, players and schools

Graves County’s Jake
Williams goes up for
a layup in a shoot
around session.
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| November/December 2012

It’s tough for even the most dedicated fans to get to every
game. So while it’s still important to get out and support your
team, WK&T Sports gives fans a way to see every play, even if
you are stuck at home at tipoff. “There are many people who,
for a number of reasons, may not have been able to get to a
game in years,” Lee says. “Now they can still follow their team
and have a great game-day experience right on their television.”
And that experience is improving. This year’s broadcasts
included instant replay for the first time, and more improvements are on the way. “Just like a good basketball team, we are
always working to get better,” says Chris Adams, a marketing
assistant with WK&T and one of the WK&T Sports producers.
“When the teams work hard they win more games. Our hard

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

WK&T Sports
Basketball Schedule
Dec. 1: Paducah Tilghman @ Carlisle Co. — Webcast
Dec. 4: Paducah Tilghman @ Mayfield — Ch. 68
Dec. 7: Hickman Co. @ Carlisle Co. — Webcast
Dec. 11: Marshall Co. @ Carlisle Co. — Webcast
Dec. 13: Lone Oak @ Mayfield — Ch. 68
Justin Hayden (30) and Jake Williams answer questions in an
interview with WK&T Sports.
work shows in the quality broadcasts we
put out for our members.”
But viewers at home aren’t the only
ones enjoying the coverage. Though
players and coaches are too busy playing
the game to watch the broadcasts live,
they benefit from the recorded footage.
Coaches frequently request film to scout
other teams or to review their own squad’s
performance. Coaches have even used
WK&T footage to show off their players
to college recruiters.
“When we started this, we committed
to top-notch, HD equipment,” Lee says.
“The video that we shoot is much higher
quality than what teams and coaches
would normally have to review.”
The broadcasts have strengthened
WK&T’s relationships with area school
districts. WK&T already makes donations
to various schools throughout the year.
“That’s what a cooperative does,” Lee
says. “We support the school system and
the school system supports us.”
It’s a partnership that Graves County
Athletic Director Doug Gloyd says is
working well.
“WK&T does unbelievable stuff for us

Because football and basketball coverage has been so popular, WK&T is looking into other high school sports. Baseball
and softball are logical next steps, but
both sports present challenges for broadcasting because of the field dimensions
and unpredictable nature of the action.
Volleyball, wrestling and soccer are all
additional options that WK&T is considering for coverage.
“Our football and basketball coverage
are second to none,” Lee says. “We will
be careful about expanding to other sports
until we are ready to give them the same
high-quality coverage.”
Gloyd says the broadcasts have been
popular with those who can’t make it
to the games. Adding coverage of other
sports would only help the teams and the
network. “I’m sure it would bring interest,” he says. “Any time when you have
a minor sport, if there’s some attention
drawn to it, it’s positive because we are
getting exposure.” 

licia Tabers was excited to show
her daughter the Christmas decorations she had set out around the
house. As soon as Alicia saw her, she gave
her a tour pointing out the trees, candles
and other seasonal staples.
The only unusual thing is that Tabers
and her holiday decor are just north of
Murray, while her daughter, Sara Darnell,
is 4,700 miles away studying abroad in Regensburg, Germany. Through video chat,
Tabers took her iPad through her home to
help Darnell get in the Christmas spirit.
“I took it around last weekend and
showed her the Christmas decorations,”
Tabers says. “She can see what’s going on
rather than just me telling her about it.”
Tabers is one of a growing number
of people using services such as Skype,
Google Talk, FaceTime and Yahoo! Messenger to talk face-to-face with far-flung
family and friends around the country or
the world.
According to statistics from the Pew Research Center, the Tabers family isn’t the
only one logging on to talk face-to-face
with loved ones. The Pew study found 19
percent of Americans have tried video calls,
video chat or teleconferencing. Among Internet users, nearly a quarter of Americans

Alicia Tabers holds her tablet so
her boss Judge Executive Larry
Elkins can wave at her daughter
Sara Darnell, who is in Germany.

are using video chat services to look eyeto-eye with the people they are talking to.
A 2011 study by Pew showed that teens use
video more than anyone. About 37 percent
of teenagers and 42 percent of teenage girls
use video chat.
The statistics also show that on a typical day in 2010, four percent of American
Internet users used video chat, which was
an increase from just two percent in 2009.
That increase, experts say, is due to more
people having access to broadband networks like WK&T’s and more computers
coming with built-in cameras.
Video chat allows Tabers
to see her daughter even
though they are 4,700
miles apart.

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| November/December 2012

Tabers, who has WK&T’s cable, phone
and Internet service at her store in Kirksey,
says she expects those numbers will continue to increase. “I think if more people
understood it, they would use it,” she says.
Darnell left in August and is due back
later this month, but in the meantime, video
chat has allowed her to keep up with Simba,
a kitten the family adopted just before she
departed and, more importantly, her threeyear-old brother, Knox. “When she left he
wasn’t really talking very much,” Tabers
says. “Now he’s really talking. She’s been
able to see him develop while she’s over
there.”
And on the other end of the camera,
Knox gets to see his big sister.
“He’ll go get his swords or his guns
or try to play with her over the Internet,”
Tabers says. “I don’t really know that he
understands, but it’s good that he can see
her.”
WK&T CEO Trevor Bonnstetter says
video chat is just another way broadband
serves the cooperative’s members. “Most
of us are lucky to have many of our loved
ones nearby,” he says. “But many families
are so spread out, it’s impossible to get together. Especially around the holidays, I
am very happy to see our service helping
bring those families together.” 

WK&T Telecommunications Cooperative | Connection

Appetizers for the holiday season
The need for quick and easy appetizers runs high during the holiday season. There are always those drop-in
guests to feed and last-minute parties to attend. So make sure you have the ingredients on hand to make
these delicious appetizers that will not only impress your guests, but also leave you time to enjoy their company — which is, after all, what the holidays are all about.

Frank’s Original Red Hot
Santa Fe Chicken Wings

To make things even easier, order “naked”
wings from your favorite restaurant, bring
them home and coat them with this delicious sauce.
2-1/2 pounds chicken wings (split, tips
discarded), prepared as desired
(fried crispy or baked)
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot cayenne
pepper sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup chili sauce
Prepare wings as desired. In a large,
microwavable bowl, combine remaining
ingredients. Cover loosely and microwave on high for one minute or until
butter is melted. Stir until smooth. Add
wings and toss to coat completely. Serve
with blue cheese or ranch dressing and
celery sticks, if desired.

mustard in a saucepan and mix well. Heat
until the brown sugar dissolves, stirring
frequently. Remove from the heat and
cool slightly. Arrange the cheese log on
a serving platter and drizzle with the
brown sugar sauce. Serve with assorted
party crackers.
– Source: “Provisions and Politics,” a publication of the
James K. Polk Memorial Association

Preheat oven to 350°. Spoon sauerkraut
in bottom of 2-quart casserole dish.
Sprinkle with caraway seeds and corned
beef. Spread dressing over top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about
20 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with party rye or rye crackers.
November/December 2012 |